generating-zotero-bibliographies

Generating Zotero bibliographies

Requires the Zotero desktop app running locally with the Local API enabled (see the searching-zotero-library skill for the setting).

Single or batch citations

get_bibliography(item_keys=["ABC123"])
get_bibliography(item_keys=["ABC123", "DEF456", "GHI789"], style="chicago-note-bibliography")
get_bibliography(item_keys=[...], style="apa", locale="en-US")

get_bibliography returns pre-formatted HTML/text for the given items — pass every item key you need at once rather than calling it once per item; it's a single request either way. Find item keys via the searching-zotero-library skill first (search_items, get_collection_items, etc.).

For a single item, get_item(item_key, include_bib=True, style=...) also returns a citation and bibliography entry alongside the item's full data — use that instead when you already need the item's other fields too, to avoid a second call.

Citation styles

style accepts any CSL style name installed in the user's Zotero (e.g. "apa", "chicago-note- bibliography", "mla", "harvard1", "vancouver"). If a style name is rejected, ask the user which style they use, or fall back to "apa" and say so — don't guess silently.

Building a reading list

To produce a reading list rather than a flat bibliography: gather the item keys for the papers in scope (a search result set or a collection via get_collection_items), then call get_bibliography once with all of them. If the user wants the list grouped or ordered (by theme, priority, or chronology), do that grouping yourself before presenting — get_bibliography returns entries in the order the keys were given, so pass them in the order you want.